Wedding Dresses, Frills and Spills
by Angel Number One
Summary: 8 years after college, 12 years after everyone parted and went their separate ways. They meet up at an unexpected wedding, and see how everyone's changed. MAJOR JOTT IN THE END, other side couples. Warning: has many shockers and twists
1. Chapter 1

Wedding Dresses, Frills and Spills

Original Fan-Fic by: Princess Erika

_She looked into his loving eyes and her heart melted. She wished time would just freeze so she could stay in that moment forever._

_He stared back too, just as lovingly, if not even more. He loved her more than words could express, and he was pretty sure she loved him back. She was his princess, he was her knight. It's always just been that way. But they were going their separate ways, and he knew he had to break it to her gently. He just didn't know how to. _

_He opened his mouth to say something, but the words just wouldn't come out. He tried once more, and finally, the words did come out. "I just want you to know that it hurts me to do this…" he whispered softly as he softly caressed her face._

_She looked away, and bit her bottom lip. She knew what he was gonna do, she knew it ever since. She knew that eventually they would one day part from each other, she just didn't imagine it to be that soon… She tried to hide her tears will all her might, but she could just feel a tear roll down her cheek… She felt so weak, so vulnerable…_

Jean Grey sniffled into her tissue. "Gosh, this movie just gets me!" she whispered to her friend Jessica. Jessica smiled at her friend while twirling her wavy blonde hair.

"It's obvious, honey," Jessica smirked. Jean and Jessica, who were both colleagues in Carson Agency and best friends, decided to watch a movie after a long day of work, and Jean wanted to watch "Crystal Bay", so Jessica simply agreed.

After the movie, the two friends were walking along one of the streets in New York, on the way to Jean's apartment. Neither of both was originally from NYC, and they just moved there after college. Jessica was Swedish-Latina and she moved to NYC from Puerto Rico, and Jean was from Bayville, New York, which wasn't very far. She moved to NYC from Chicago, which is where she studied college, to find a job.

"That movie was AMAZING!" Jean squealed as they walked on. "It was so sad yet so sweet."

"Yeah that seems to really tug on your heartstrings, huh?" Jessica said with her thick Puerto-Rican accent. "The actor was a hottie!"

Jean simply walked off, day-dreaming about her past present and future when suddenly…

"BEEP BEEP!" A car horn honked at her as it passed by, nearly hitting Jean. It missed, her, but it did pass by a puddle and it splashed Jean with dirty water, completely soaking her. Jessica quickly rushed to Jean to give her a tissue to wipe her face with while laughing.

"Well, what can I say, now I know what you'll look like if you were a premature pony!" Jessica guffawed. Jean gave her a smug look as a reply.

As soon as they reached Jean's apartment, Jean quickly rushed into the shower. Jessica flopped down onto Jean's bed and read a magazine. "Oh my lord Angelina and Brad are engaged!" she called out to her best friend. "I feel so sorry for Jennifer! What's happening to the world?"

"Ah well I always thought Brad and Angelina made a cute couple. They look so cute together." Jean called out as she got out of the shower and slipped her robe on. She then walked over to her room to see what Jessica was reading. "Oh hey Jess can you kindly check my mail?"

"Sure, Lolita," Jessica said as she went outside Jean's apartment to get Jean's mail. Lolita was a nickname Jessica made for Jean, because she thought the name Lolita suited Jean's personality.

As soon as she got the mail, she went back upstairs to Jean's apartment unit and put the mail onto Jean's study table.

"Who are they from?" Jean asked, while still reading the magazine.

"Umm your electricity bill, something from you bank, a new catalogue of Pottery Barn and…. Um…."

"What?" Jean asked, finally sitting up. She looked at the worried look on Jessica's face and she started to worry too.

"I think you wanna check this out yourself…" Jessica said as she handed Jean a silver lacey envelope. Jean opened it without looking at who it was from and she froze in shock.

_**You're invited to the wedding of Rogue & Scott Summers!**_

_San Francisco Church,_

_7th of June_

_6:00 p.m_

_Reception will be held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, San Francisco_

_Formal, please wear white, gold, silver or black._

_R.S.V.P Scott- 4689213579,_

_Rogue- 4682396852_


	2. Chapter 2

Wedding Dresses, Frills and Spills

By: Princess Erika

Chapter 2:

"Hey Lolita, how bout this dress?" Jessica said, holding out a black sparkly mini-dress which was sequined all the way with sheer black bat-wing sleeves. "The invitation did say wear black, right?"

Jean and Jessica were doing their weekly shopping trip, and since they started, Jessica couldn't stop raving about Scott's wedding. Jean was obviously annoyed by her perky best friend, but as always, she tried her best to control her temper.

"The invitation said either white, gold, silver or black, Jess. Plus, that dress is not supposed to be worn at a wedding. Matrimony's supposed to be sacred and holy, not skanky." Jean said as she held an aqua skirt in front of her to see if it looked nice. "Besides, who said I was even planning on going?" Jean looked over to her friend and gave her a smug look, as if to say _"over my dead body"_. Jessica simply rolled her eyes. "So," Jean said, trying to change the topic. "You ready to try the clothes on?"

The two girls headed to the changing rooms. It was a tradition for the two girls to go to their favorite boutique, Silhouette, every Saturday when they're doing their weekly shopping trip. They would stay there the longest, and that's the time when they really got to bond. After trying on all the clothes they liked, they came out with their favorite outfit.

"What do you think?" Jean asked as she modeled the outfit of her choice: a pink stonewashed denim miniskirt and a sparkly plain white short-sleeved top. Jessica gave a nod of approval.

"Ah chica, that's hot hot hot!" Jessica exclaimed. "What about mine?" the feisty blonde asked, striking a pose. Jean examined her friend's outfit: a red one-shouldered Chinese printed tunic over plain black pants.

"It's so you!" Jean smiled. Suddenly, there was silence between the two. Jessica decided to break the ice with a very relevant question.

"Lolita, wasn't Scott your first and only boyfriend?" Jean just looked at her friend blankly, as if she was trying to figure out what the question meant. After a while she snapped back to reality.

"He was not my only boyfriend! I went out with other guys too… But well, yes, he was my first boyfriend. We started dating when we were in 6th grade, and we, well, went out separate ways after we graduated high school…" Jessica cocked her eyebrow.

"Si, you went to the movies with Abe Mitchell and you said he was way too gluttonous. Then you went to the Carson Annual Charity Ball with Tom Deen, and you said he had bad breath when you two weren't even near kissing!" she nagged. Jean just rolled her eyes. "Separate ways you mean college?" Jessica asked, and Jean nodded. They both went back into their changing stalls and started putting on their own clothes. "But didn't you say that when you were all studying in Bayville High, Scott had no interest for this Rogue girl?"

Jean pulled on her mint green sweater and ran her hands through her long, silky red hair to ease the frizz the clothes changing has done. "Well yeah, but things change… Besides, I'm so over him." Jean said. She wasn't sure about her feelings yet, since she hasn't forgotten him after twelve years, but she lied anyway, just so Jessica wouldn't ask any more questions. "I just want him to be happy."

Jessica stepped out of the changing stall back in her normal clothes, and sternly said, "If you're over him and you want to be his amiga, then go to his wedding to show it. I'm sure he'd be more than glad to see you again." Jean sighed, and finally gave into her persuasive friend.

"_Hey this is Scott. Sorry I can't answer the phone right now, but leave a message and I'll get back to you. Bye!"_

"Ummm hey Scott, this is Jean. I got the invitation. I will go to your wedding next Monday, so um… Save me a seat ok? See you in a few days." Jean hung up the phone and mentally kicked herself. "Why the hell do I still get the butterflies?"


	3. Chapter 3

Wedding Dresses, Frills and Spills

By: Princess Erika

Chapter 3:

"Umm hi Kitty here." Said a quirky voice from the other line.

"Kitty? Kitty Pryde? Oh my god this is Jean, Jean Grey!" squealed the excited redhead, clearly happy to her the voice of her childhood friend again.

"Jean, is that you? Like, oh my god, I haven't heard from you in ages! Oh, and by the way, it's not Kitty Pryde anymore, it's Kitty ALVERS" giggled Kitty. "How did you like, get my number? I just moved."

"Oh god you married Lance? Ha, funny, I always knew you two would kick it off." Jean giggled along, while drawing on the corner of the lime green jelly notebook she secretly kept. "Oh, and didn't you know? I work for Carson Agency, it's one of the biggest telephone agencies in America, I can get a hold of anyone's number."

"Are you married?" Kitty asked curiously. "Because I heard that Kurt and Amanda are engaged, Ororo and Logan got married in Vegas and they adopted a child, and I heard Evan and Wanda have been dating for five years now. Lance also told me that Pietro and Tabitha are married with twins. But, whoa, Rogue and Scott, who would've imagined THAT?"

"Umm yeah, who would've, right? Oh, and no, I'm not married." Jean said, trying her best to sound like she was ok and trying to convince herself she was ok, but deep inside she felt like she was shot in the heart. "So, are you going to the wedding?"

"Like, yeah!" Kitty exclaimed. "It'll be like a little reunion, you know, for all of us who once lived in Xavier's. It'll be so totally nice to meet everyone again, and to like, catch up. You are going, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course, it'll be good to see everyone. Hey, you know how you live in Jersey? Maybe we can go to San Francisco a bit earlier, together… And maybe you can come here to NYC so we can shop together, you know, like we used to do in high school."

"Yeah, of course we'll go together! Lance can go to California alone, he won't mind. So the wedding's in 8 days… I'll be in NYC in like, three days, ok?"

"Yeah sure!" Jean said happily, trying to forget about the fact that she probably was the only person from her group of high school friends who wasn't seeing anyone.

Kitty and Jean talked for hours, catching up with what they've been doing the 12 years they were apart. They just kept blabbing like there was no tomorrow, until Kitty had to go to a "doctor's appointment".

After the conversation, Jean went to her luxe apartment bathroom and stared at herself in her mirror. She stared at herself for a long time, with a puzzled look on her face. _'When I show up at the wedding, I have to look hip and glamorous, so people would think I enjoy the whole single New-Yorker life style… The thought that I'm a lonely workaholic cannot even cross their minds!" _

Jean picked up the phone and speed-dialed Jessica's number. After three rings, a loud voice with a South-American accent picked up the phone. "Ola, Jessica speaking."

Jean smiled to herself and thought hard about what she was gonna say next. She just smiled and chuckled. "Jess, I think it's time I get a makeover."


	4. Chapter 4

Wedding Dresses, Frills and Spills

By: Princess Erika

Chapter 4:

Jean took out a compact mirror from her bag to take a close look of how she looked like. She had gotten a makeover with Jessica the day before, and a big change it has been. Her long, waist-length red hair was snipped to a layered, chin-length bob, which was flicked out and had gold, honey and auburn highlights. Her eyebrows were perfectly arched, this time professionally waxed, and her makeup bag was revamped too. Her boring lipbalm and mascara were thrown out, and replaced by new, branded goods. She transformed from geeky to glam in a matter of hours.

"Jean!" A familiar perky voice squealed from a distance. Jean turned her head to scan the train station for her friend, and saw a petite brunette running her way.

"Hey Kitty," Jean smiled, as she stood up and straightened her navy pencil skirt. She approached her friend to help with the bags. "How was your trip?"

"It was like, really cramped in the train, but other than that, it was ok." Kitty examined her friend and smiled from ear to ear. "You look great Jean! Like, why didn't you tell me you're a vixen? Are you sure you're single?"

Jean smiled, clearly flattered, but thought to herself _'I didn't tell you I was a vixen because I didn't look like this when we talked.'_ She decided to go with the flow. "Ha, Kit, I am single. And nah, I'm no vixen."

"Oh please," Kitty retorted. "As if you don't know you look hot."

Jean sighed, clearly beaten by her friend who was two years younger. "You think I pull it off well?" Jean asked, secretly thinking of what Scott was gonna say when he sees her.

"Duh, you look like a goddess. So… You wanna show me where you live?"

Kitty gawked at everything as soon as she saw Jean's classy apartment. Kitty was stunned by how beautifully furnished her friend was, and how big the apartment was, considering Jean was single.

"This'll be your room for the next two days." Jean said, opening the door to her guest room. The sight of the room simply took Kitty's breath away. Against the wall was a deep red canopy bed, and across the bed was a big window. "So if you need anything to eat, just take it from the kitchen. Need help unpacking?"

Kitty snapped out of her speechlessness and turned around to look at her friend. "Unpacking?" She asked her friend as she raised her eyebrow. "Forget that. We're like, in New York, so let's shop!"

The two friends grabbed their purses, and stormed to the nearest boutique. As they rummaged through the racks of luxurious clothes, Jean remembered Kitty had a doctor's appointment when they talked on the phone, so she decided to ask her friend what it was about. "Hey Kit, what was your doctor's appointment for?"

Kitty turned to face her friend and took a deep breath, as if she was just about to deliver big news. "Well," Kitty sighed and looked at her older, more mature friend. "I'm pregnant." Jean's eyes widened.

"Oh my god, really? Kitty that's such great news!" Jean exclaimed as she hugged her small, and now pregnant, friend. Kitty smiled at Jean's comment.

"I was planning to tell you after the wedding, as my own little surprise for you, but you brought up the doctor's appointment and I just couldn't wait!" Kitty squealed, letting go of her friend. She started rummaging through the racks of clothes again. "I want you to be my baby's godmother."

Jean's heart felt warm and fuzzy. "I'd love to be your baby's god momma!" Jean said warmly. "I bet your baby will be a brunette." Jean joked.

"Well duh," Kitty laughed. "So, you ready to try those on?" Kitty asked, gesturing to the pile of clothes Jean was holding. Jean nodded and they both went to try the clothes on.

The pair bought just about every piece of clothing they touched, and only went home when the shops were about to close. The next day, the two "bonded" again, and bought their dresses fro Rogue's bridal shower (both the girls were maids of honor, so their dresses were going to be provided) which was happening three days before the wedding itself.

"Jean hurry up and pack, we're leaving in half an hour!" Kitty called out to her friend, who was secretly looking at her old pictures with Scott, back when they were still in high school.

"Just move on and be happy…" Jean told herself as she ran her hand through a picture of her and her former lover in a school fair. A tear slowly rolled down her cheek.


	5. Chapter 5

Wedding Dresses, Frills and Spills

By: Princess Erika

Chapter 5:

"So you seriously lost contact with EVERYONE after you left for university?" Kitty asked, while focusing on lining her eyes.

The two friends arrived in San Francisco the day before, and they were just getting ready for Rogue's bridal shower. They were just getting ready, and they wanted to make everything seem all good, since it was gonna be the first time they'll be seeing their old high school friends in a long time.

"Yup, I didn't really have the numbers of everyone, or the time, unfortunately." Jean said, coming out of the bathroom in the dress she chose: a beaded red strapless dress. She walked over to the vanity table next to Kitty's and she started blow-drying her hair. "Not like I wanted to lose contact."

Kitty simply shrugged, as she added the last touch to her outfit for the night: her wedding ring. She looked at herself in the mirror, trying to look at every single detail, from her deep blue slip dress, down to every strand of hair out of place. After fixing some flaws, she smiled at herself contentedly. "Yeah, like, we thought you wanted to get rid of us!" Kitty joked, as she grabbed her purse and waited patiently for her friend.

As soon as Jean was ready, the two headed down to the hotel lobby of the Four Seasons hotel where they were staying, and asked a hotel chauffer to drive them to the classy bar where Rogue was holding her bridal shower.

"Hey Jean, I hope you don't mind me crashing in your hotel room for like, today and tomorrow. I promise, Lance will be here tomorrow, and I'll be out…" Kitty told her friend, somewhat ashamed she's been staying over Jean's place for a while.

Jean simply shrugged. "Nah, you can stay for as long as you want, Kitty. I don't mind. I am staying alone…"

Jean and Kitty entered the club, and they were welcomed by Rogue. She looked different from how Kitty and Jean last remembered her. She wasn't a gothic girl anymore, that's for sure. She still kept her signature white streak, but the rest of her auburn hair was long and flowing. She had gotten tanned, and she didn't wear so much eyeliner. She somehow looked rather… glamorous.

"Jean, Kitty, long time no see!" greeted Rogue, with her southern accent. "You two have changed so much!"

They exchanged hugs, and Jean got the impression of Rogue actually being quite lovely and hospitable. "You have too, but your accent hasn't changed a bit."

Rogue smiled and replied "I dunno, I'm proud of it. It's something I can never outgrow." She led her friends down to the bar and bought each girl a margarita, before she left them to greet other guests.

Jean saw many familiar faces, and there were a few hi's and hello's, and some deep conversations with people she actually knew well. But she never really did mingle. Kitty left to go chat up some of the people at Rogue's girls' night out, but Jean stayed.

Jean stayed because she couldn't think straight and only one thought was running through her mind…

_'Why can't I EVER stop thinking about him?'_ she asked herself a billion times. Yet, there was no answer. She was deep in thought, but was distracted by dance music starting to roar from the speakers. She knew Kitty would drag her in the dance floor anyway, so she voluntarily went and started dancing the night away.

The whole night went on smoothly, until a bunch of guys showed up. Jean couldn't believe her eyes…

She saw Scott Summers, Mr. Oh-so-perfect Scott Summers, drunk with a bunch of other guys who turned out to be the male guests of the wedding. She stood still, mostly because of shock. She watched her ex-boyfriend approach his bride to be.

"Hey, babe," he slurred. He put his arm around her, and then he kissed her. So many different thoughts ran through Jean's head.

"What are you doing here?" Rogue asked Scott, removing his arm from her shoulder.

"I'm having a groom shower, if there is such thing." He laughed, clearly light-headed. Rogue stared at her fiancé in disbelief, and Jean, not even knowing what disappointed her, took her purse and headed to the door. Scott spotted her, and walked rather unbalanced towards her.

"Well, if it isn't Jean Grey…" Scott said, secretly flirting with Jean. She just rolled her eyes, knowing he was just toying with her. He then started leaning in, closer than normal, until Jean jerked away.

"I gotta go," she said quickly, before she ran off… She didn't even try to call a chauffer, she ran… She ran because deep inside she knew she was becoming a confused little girl again…


	6. Chapter 6

Wedding Dresses, Frills and Spills

By: Princess Erika

Chapter 6:

The events from the previous night were a blur in Jean's head. She didn't want to believe them; nonetheless she was pretty sure she saw a drunken Scott. She hasn't been able to sleep the previous night, so she's been up the whole night, trying to come up with ways to fall asleep, yet there was no avail.

Jean felt the soft breeze blow on her face as she sat in the cable car on her way to Rogue's place for the dress fitting. She looked around and took in all the beauty around her. Compared to NYC, San Francisco was rather quaint. When she passed a number of little shops, she made a mental note to shop for Jessica in Union Square as her best friend wouldn't have forgiven her if she didn't buy anything in one of the best shopping places.

She reached her stop and got off the cable car, realizing it was a good 2 blocks till she reached Rogue's place. She walked briskly, pulling her red coat on tighter. She stopped at the address she remembered, but took a crumpled piece of paper out of her bag with the address just to make sure. It was right.

Jean couldn't believe her eyes. She stood in front of an astonishingly painted San Francisco style house, but it was a lot bigger than the rest. It was a peachy-beige type of color, extremely well-kept and it had big windows, giving passer-bys a peek of the exquisite interior. Jean tucked a stray strand of her highlighted red locks and rang the doorbell.

"Jean, you're just in time!" her friend from Mississippi exclaimed as she opened the door. "The tailors should be here in a few minutes. Can I get you anything?" Rogue asked, very hospitably as she let Jean in.

"No thank you," Jean politely declined. "Beautiful house," Jean said, admiring the beauty of Rogue's little palace. Rogue smiled warmly in return.

"Yeah, thanks. Most of this was Scott's idea though."

"You live with Scott?" Jean asked, obviously intrigued.

"Yeah, we've been living together for the past four years." Rogue replied, and it sounded to Jean as if she were boasting. "We decided to get married. I absolutely love this. I've got everything I could ever want."

Jean forced a smile and looked away. _'Give up your hopes Jean, he really has changed…' _the redhead sighed as she sat on the couch where all the rest of the girls were. Everyone was there, Kitty, Amara, Amanda, Ororo, Tabitha, Jubilee, Rahne, even Wanda as Rogue's bridesmaid. They all looked happy, successful and loved, and Jean wished she was loved, just like them.

The women chatted for a bit, catching up on what they've missed the 8 years they were apart. They giggled and laughed, exchanged gossip, and Ororo was there to lend a mature thought if someone needed it, like she always used to when they were in high school. Jean found out all sorts of things, like how Rahne moved to Hawaii and how Wanda was in San Francisco this whole time.

Wanda has changed a whole lot too. She looked just as wild and feisty, but her hair was now shoulder-length and it was just black with a few red streaks. She still wore a lot of eyeliner, but she took her clothes a notch lower. Unlike the torn and tattered pieces of cloth she called clothes in high school; the clothes she wore were classy. She wore a red long-sleeved top, boots and black jeans, which weren't ripped and weren't from hot topic.

Not long after, the tailors came and gave everyone their respective dresses to try on. Even though a lot of them lived miles away from San Francisco, they e-mailed their measurements to Rogue, who gave them to the tailors so they could make the gowns in exact proportion. That day was just a fitting day, to see if everything was right.

Jean locked the door behind her and pulled off her black tank top. She was grumpy and depressed, mostly because Scott was living with a woman he had no interest in back in high school (although she kept telling herself not to care), but she wasn't gonna let Rogue find out.

Jean picked up the dress Rogue handed her and stared at it in disbelief. _'A peach dress? Peach? Rogue didn't even wanna go anywhere near the color peach 12 years ago!' _Jean mentally whined. When she got a grip of herself, she slipped on the PEACH dress and inspected how it looked in the mirror. It was a shimmering orange-peach type of silk material, and it was one-shouldered and beaded. It hugged her hips, and then it was loose and flowing from hip down. It looked as if orange-peach snow was melting around her. _'Now this is a nice dress…' _

"Ah, dahling, you look fabu!" Audrey, the gay dress designer squealed as Jean stepped out of the powder room. Audrey was a budding fashion designer, and he was one of the best designers in San Francisco. Rogue wanted a completely new and fresh designer to work on her gowns, so she called up Audrey immediately. "You're like a cobra ready to strike!"

Jean gave a small smile in return and whispered "Thanks" Audrey inspected her dress, taking a look at every single detail. After everyone was inspected, a few pictures were taken, and Jean was off.

Jean was walking around Union Square, stopping here and there. In a matter of two hours, she was holding 4 giant branded paper bags with her right hand, and 3 on her left. There were also numerous shopping bags stuffed inside the massive ones, but Jean didn't seem to care about how much she spent, or how heavy what she was carrying was._ 'It amazes me how shopping soothes the brain.' _She smiled to herself. Tired after a little shopping, she stopped by a café to grab a quick caffeine fix, then headed to the center of Union Square to watch a few performers.

She watched them in delight, glad to be free from any stress even for just a little while. Or so she thought… Not more than 20 meters away, she saw the man she once loved. She looked away quickly, trying her best not to be noticed, yet he looked her way and quickly recognized her.

Scott quickly jogged up to her, bringing along a little girl, about the age of five. She was adorable, running with her father. She had the reddest hair and the most beautiful pair of big, green eyes. She was wearing a little baseball jersey-dress, and in Jean's eyes, she was the cutest kid she's ever seen. But realizing the kid was running with her ex-boyfriend, she just looked away.

"Jean, wait! Hang on!" Scott ran up to her, holding the little girl's hand. "Jean, sorry about last night, I wasn't myself." Scott said, although after than he gave her a cocky grin. "I bet you forgive me."

Jean forced out a tiny smile. "Cute kid," Jean said, referring to the little redhead holding Scott's hand.

"Oh yeah, Jean, this is my daughter. Her name's-" but he was cut off.

"Your kid with Rogue?" Jean asked briskly, somewhat offended.

Scott ran a hand through his hair, as if he was trying to think of something to say. After what seemed to be ages, he chose one. He gave an arrogant smirk and said "Well, waddya know? It was just a one-night stand. My soldiers must be really strong!" Jean's eyes widened in disbelief.

The next thing she knew was that her hand came in contact with Scott's face with a loud 'smack'. Her eyes started watering. There she was, standing in front of a man she used to love and most probably still loved, watching him be cocky about getting a woman pregnant on their first go. "Who are you?" She asked, tears welling up her eyes. She felt like she was gonna break down any second.

Scott felt ashamed, and he touched the cheek where Jean had slapped him. He looked down, not saying anything.

"That's what I thought," Jean said, clearly hurt, although those four words seemed to hurt Scott twice as much. She walked off, trying her hardest to hide her tears.

"So that's what you're gonna do, huh?" she heard him say from behind her. She turned around and looked at him, wiping her tear-stained face. "You're just gonna give up on me. You're just gonna walk away like you did before."


	7. Chapter 7

Wedding Dresses, Frills and Spills

By: Princess Erika

Chapter 7:

_'He shouldn't have bragged about knocking a woman out before marriage like that,' _Jean told herself stubbornly as she took a sip of sweet wine. She was debating the pros and cons of what had happened the previous day, from when she saw Scott till the moment she had left him. _'But maybe slapping him wasn't the best idea…'_

Jean waited for Ororo in the hotel restaurant. They were supposed to have dinner together that night, bonding over exquisite Italian food, exchanging thoughts and advice, like they used to when Jean lived in Xavier's.

_'That's weird… Ororo's never late,'_ Jean said to herself when she realized she has been waiting for almost half an hour. _'I wonder what held her back…' _But all the answers seemed to pop in her head when she saw a familiar dark-haired man enter the restaurant… And he was approaching!

"Hey Jean," he smirked as he reached her table. "Ororo's not coming tonight. May I sit?" he asked, gesturing to the chair in across Jean. She nodded, looking a bit puzzled.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, trying her best to be polite. He smiled.

"Well, I told Kitty about what happened yesterday, and she told me how you were supposed to meet Ororo tonight. So she told me to come here and she'll take care of the rest. Surprisingly, she did." Jean simply rolled her eyes.

_'Kitty,' _she sighed. _'I should have known… So things haven't changed much since high school… Oh, I gotta apologize…' _she told herself. After gathering up her courage, she started to speak. "Listen, about yesterday-" but she was cut off.

"Yes, about yesterday, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said the, er, things that I said." He paused for a moment, and called the waiter. He whispered something to the waiter, who nodded and went off to fiddle with the restaurant's music system. Not long after, the intro of Robbie Williams' "Better Man" started playing. "But you can show you apology by dancing with me." He smirked and held out his hand. "May I have the honor?"

Jean rolled her eyes and took his hand. He led her to the dance floor and they started moving to the music. _'My god, the last time we did this was… the Graduation Ball.' _She recalled. She remembered every single thing that happened that day sadly, especially the part when it finally hit her that it was over.

_**Send someone to love me  
I need to rest in arms  
Keep me safe from harm  
In pouring rain**_

They moved as one, in silence for a while. They were both in absolute bliss, and it didn't take a genius to figure that out. Neither of them spoke during the first few lines of the song, as if they wanted to enjoy the moment raw, just like that.

They seemed like the perfect fit, too, not too big an age or height difference, and they equaled each other out. His brown hair seemed to balance her flaming red hair and his dark chocolate eyes contrasted her deep emerald ones. Everyone else in the restaurant, from the customers to the waiters, watched them in awe, and everyone thought they were together. They really did seem like the perfect couple.

_**Give me endless summer  
Lord I fear the cold  
Feel I'm getting old  
Before my time**_

The both of them seemed to feel extremely comfortable in each others' arms, and they were obviously enjoying spending time with each other and pretending like nobody else existed at that moment. But Jean decided to break the silence.

"Cute kid you have," Jean said, leaning back a little so she could look at Scott's eyes.

"Thanks," he smiled, his eyes lighting up. He obviously loved his daughter very much.

_**As my soul heals the shame  
I will grow through this pain  
Lord I'm doing all I can  
To be a better man**_

"What's her name?" Jean asked curiously. She definitely found his daughter adorable, and she wanted to know more about the offspring of the man she once considered spending her whole life with.

He had a far-off look on his face, as if he was thinking deeply about whether to tell her or not, for some mysterious reason. He took a deep breath, and on his next exhalation, he said "Scarlet,"

Jean looked puzzled, trying to figure out why someone would name their daughter that, especially if Rogue was the child's mother. "Why Scarlet?" Jean asked quizzically.

Scott gave her a lopsided smile, a shy smile that a little boy who wanted something but was too shy to speak his thoughts might've gave. "Because she reminded me a lot of you, Redd…"

_**Go easy on my conscience  
'Cause it's not my fault  
I know I've been taught  
To take the blame**_

Jean was trying to piece everything together and tried her best to hide her blush. She just let out a simple "oh".

"See, Rogue's real parents might've had red hair and green eyes too, because it's definitely not from my side of the family," he explained. "And she said she wanted me to name the baby so I gave her the first name that popped in my head…" Jean nodded.

_**Rest assured my angels  
Will catch my tears  
Walk me out of here  
I'm in pain**_

He pulled her closer to him once again and breathed her in. _'She still smells like roses and rain with a touch of honey… A unique smell that's sophisticated and classic with a hint of sweetness… It's so unique to her, nobody else smells this good… Damn, Scott, you're getting married in 2 days! But I just hope this would last…'_

_**As my soul heals the shame  
I will grow through this pain  
Lord I'm doing all I can  
To be a better man**_

Jean wanted to nuzzle his neck so bad, but she had excellent self-control, thank god. She hasn't been that comfortable around someone in ages, and as much as she hated to admit it, he was the only guy she wanted to slow-dance or waltz with the past 12 years.

**_Once you've found that lover  
You're homeward bound  
Love is all around  
Love is all around  
I know some have fallen  
On stony ground  
But love is all around_**

_'He still smells like he did back then,' _she smiled and leaned in a little closer, trying to remember just how it smelled. _'Looks like some things never change.'_

_**Send someone to love me  
I need to rest in arms  
Keep me safe from harm  
In pouring rain**_

Nobody said anything at all, and they were both fine with that. They both enjoyed the silence, as if they thought the silence would make the feeling they were both enjoying linger for a while longer, even after the night was over.

_**Give me endless summer  
Lord I fear the cold  
Feel I'm getting old  
Before my time  
As my soul heals the shame  
I will grow through this pain  
Lord I'm doing all I can  
To be a better man**_

After the song was finished, they both hid their disappointment and headed back to their table and finished ate their meals and sipped their wine while chatting about random things. When they finished, Scott paid the bill and walked Jean up to her hotel room.

"Can I see you again tomorrow?" he asked as soon as they reached the door of Jean's apartment. She lifted an eyebrow in confusion and tilted her head to the side. He then realized his blooper and tried to cover it up. "As friends, you know, to talk."

She smiled meekly and nodded. He mumbled something about picking her up at 10 in the morning and her waiting in the lobby, and with that, he left. She smiled a contented smile and entered her hotel room.

She took a bath and pulled and got ready to go to bed. After brushing her hair, she jumped on the bed and turned the lamp off. _'I think that tonight, after twelve years, I'll finally have a good night's rest.' _She thought gladly before she drifted off to sleep.


End file.
